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Join Date

Apr 2013

Posts

1,195

New stick suggestion

For a while i've been wanting to try different sticks but there is so many where to start. Currently i play with vic firth 2B nylon tip. I am willing to try other brands but am happy with how long vic firths last. I just bought a signature stick from promark and because i figured i like the drummers style and his playing so i thought give them a try but they are already chipping. I like to play rock and metal so what would you guys and gals suggest to try.

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Join Date

Jun 2012

Location

Sack-of-tomatoes, Ca.

Posts

4,940

Re: New stick suggestion

I mostly use Vic Firth 5A or 5B Nylon tipped sticks. The reason I switched to nylon tips is I was chipping too many of the others. I've tried ProMarks and Vater sticks and have really liked them. On the other hand, I'm not a very hard hitter at all. Guess it just all depends on how you play and what you prefer as far as feel goes.

All the regular sticks I have chipped, I either use them on a practice pad or they make excellent kindling for a fire.

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Re: New stick suggestion

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Join Date

Aug 2010

Location

Wilson, Oklahoma

Posts

931

Re: New stick suggestion

Pro-Mark's Shira Kashi Oak sticks will outlast any other stick on the market ...hands down, especially when it comes to "Power Rim Shots" and those small cymbal edge cuts.
I buy 6 pair of sticks per year and play 120 gigs per year and usually all 6 pair
are still in decent playable shape but Im not playing Metal.

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Join Date

Nov 2008

Location

41 degrees south

Posts

7,472

Re: New stick suggestion

I play a lot of rock and metal, and my favourite sticks are the classic 5B with a nylon tip from either Vic Firth or Vater. They're reasonably durable, the right weight/length for me, and the nylon tip gives a nice sound on the cymbals.

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Re: New stick suggestion

Originally Posted by 8beat

Do you guys and gals even care about tip shape? Some sticks have a round shape, others have a barrel, oval or teardrop shape.

I really don't care to be honest. I use the shoulder mostly. I haven't been getting any volume out of my kit at least not the kind I want so I've been playing with butt ends and the difference is incredible. The 22" ride is really turned up now. I may as well get the Absolutes.

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Join Date

May 2010

Location

Las Vegas (Henderson), NV

Posts

1,020

Re: New stick suggestion

My favorite sticks are the ProMark Shira Kashi Oak 2B. These are really heavy sticks, and they come with either wood or nylon tips. I am a small person and not a heavy hitter, but there is something about the heft and feel of these sticks that I love. IF you like 2Bs anyway, try the ProMark oaks, and I think you'll like 'em. Alternately, the first stick I ever bought was the Shira Kashi 5B, which is a little less in diameter, but still has that very nice oak heft. I'd try both of these.

Lastly, I have a pair of the ProMark 747 Neil Peart sticks already mentioned. These are oak also (hard to tell I like oak, huh?) but much thinner, but again, more weight than a similar hickory stick. I like these, too, but the thicker ones are more my 'style'.

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Join Date

Jun 2014

Location

St.Louis

Posts

209

Re: New stick suggestion

Well, I guess I'll throw in my 0.2... I prefer my Vic Firth Dave Weckl sticks... the brick red ones. I've used them for years. Wood tipped, well balanced... the top is like a rounded square. I love them. I never get blisters, nor drop them.

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Join Date

Oct 2013

Location

Norman, Oklahoma

Posts

366

Re: New stick suggestion

I know that some of you use 2B's for drum set but, IMHO, a 2B stick is a concert stick. The neck is too shallow for much flexibility. If you are chewing up the neck, this might be part of the problem. I would use a 5B and stay with nylon if you are rough on the tips. I personally use wood tips but I don't play that hard. You might also look at maple which is actually harder than oak and lighter. All this depends on what kind of music you are playing and how you are hitting. More rim shots will chew up any kind of sticks. My $.02.

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Join Date

Oct 2009

Location

Port St. Lucie, FL

Posts

799

Re: New stick suggestion

I have used 5B for most of my career. They make so many brands and models it is impossible to keep up with. Look at the racks of sticks at a guitar center. The prices are ridiculous for a single pair of sticks. I refuse to pay $7 or $8 for a pair of drum sticks.
I have ordered bags of 5B sticks from eBay that were just as good and worked fine for me.
On the bottom shelf of the stick bins at guitar center you can get 10 pair for a very reasonable price in different sizes and on sale sometimes. I just got a bag of 20 nice sticks for less than 2 pair of those boutique sticks.